Destroying Evidence Will Not (Necessarily) Suppress the Truth #LitigationLawyer

Every day it seems we learn in the news of another scandal involving a government official or other famous person. From an affair and threatening emails leading to the resignation of David Petraeus to the suspension of football players for restaurant fights or drug use, we frequently become privy to matters these public figures no doubt assumed would remain private. Despite efforts to hide it, the truth finds a way of coming out.

This principle is seen in litigation as well. Sometimes a person involved in a lawsuit believes he can get away with deleting disparaging emails or other condemning evidence. Certainly there are occasions when people successfully suppress the truth (at least for a time). However, subpoenas to third parties, sophisticated technology and other investigative tools frequently lead to the discovery of the true facts of a case. Furthermore, the courts are empowered to punish people for purposefully destroying evidence, which dissuades some from efforts to hide the truth. Regardless of whether a person is a famous or not, he may find that he cannot keep the truth hidden.

If you find yourself in need of legal advice with regard to how to handle evidence you know about, call me at (480) 833-1113 and we discuss your situation.

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DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

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